Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Fort Hays State split its two matches on the first day of the NSIC Challenge in Sioux Falls, S.D., dropping a 3-0 contest to Minnesota State-Moorhead in the afternoon game before pulling off a 3-2 comeback victory over the University of Sioux Falls in the evening.
 
The Tigers continue their stay at the NSIC Challenge on Saturday with matches against No. 23 Augustana and Bemidji State.  FHSU will take on Augustana at 11:30 a.m., at the Elmen Center, before facing BSU in a neutral game at 4:30 p.m., at the University of Sioux Falls.
 
MSU-Moorhead 3, Fort Hays State 0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-19)

Fort Hays State struggled in their second loss of the season, hitting just .149 as a team compared to a Dragon offense that had 51 kills and a .306 hitting percentage in three sets.  The Tigers were hurt with 16 attack errors, failing to find a rhythm needed to mount a comeback.
 
After dropping the first two sets, 25-16 and 25-17, FHSU appeared focused on forcing a fourth set, showing an improvement in passing and hitting .217 for the frame.  Tied 4-4 early in the set, MSU-Moorhead pulled away to a six-point lead, 14-9, but FHSU hung close and climbed back. A kill by Sara Hewson (14-10) sparked a 5-1 run for the Tigers, during which Mallory Flagor had three consecutive kills.  Haley Corkill's point at 15-14 brought FHSU within one, but that was it as the Dragons regained control and stretched the lead to seven, 22-15, and took the set, 25-19.
 
Flagor was the only Tiger to hit the double-digit kill mark in the match, leading the team with 12 while hitting .235.  Libby Ary and Kristin Conor split time as primary setters, scoring 15 and 13 assists, respectively. 
 
Defensively, Keanu Bradley led the Tigers with 19 digs, and Rebekah Spainhour had three block assists.  Flagor, Mikalah Hughes and Teresa Wade each had two blocks.
 
Fort Hays State 3, Sioux Falls 2 (22-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 18-16)

Fort Hays State and Sioux Falls both hit well in the match, finishing with .284 and .292 hitting percentages as teams, though the Cougars outnumbered the Tigers in kills, 77 to 62. 
 
The Tigers were helped by 13 Cougar service errors and 25 USF attack errors, taking advantage of the mistakes to pull off the win.
 
All told, there were 41 tie scores in the match and 12 lead changes in a back-and-forth match.
 
Down 11-6 in the first, FHSU used two quick kills from Taylor Mares to start a 4-0 burst that pulled them within one, but an attack error stalled the run.  Mares, however, picked things back up immediately with another kill – her fourth in the early going.
 
Soon after, down three (14-11), two errors on the Cougars and a timely block assist from Hughes and Corkill tied the match and forced a USF timeout. After back-and-forth play until 17-all, USF jumped ahead for good (though the Tigers stayed within striking distance), taking the set 25-22.
 
See-saw play in the second set brought the score to 13-13 before FHSU started a four-point burst to take its largest lead of the night, 17-13.  Spainhour, Hewson and Mares had kills during the run, though USF came back to tie it, 18-18 and force an FHSU timeout.
 
FHSU responded out of the break, going on a 4-1 run with two kills from Flagor to take control in the set, 22-19.  The Tigers held on to win, 25-20, and tie the match at one apiece.
 
Tied 9-9 in the third, FHSU was hurt by a 10-2 run by the Cougars to fall behind by eight (19-11).  Though the Tigers pulled within five (20-15), it was too late for the squad as USF took the set, 25-17.
 
Needing a win to force a fifth set, FHSU battled with USF for much of the fourth, leading by three points twice (12-9 and 16-13), but unable to pull away.  Tied at 19, a kill from Hewson and a Cougar attack error gave FHSU much needed breathing room in a 25-23 set win.
 
In the deciding frame, FHSU jumped out to an 8-5 lead before the side switch, but a three-point USF run out of the break set up a race to the finish.  Tied 10-10 later in the set, a Cougar error and a kill from Flagor gave the Tigers an advantage, but USF once again clawed back into a tie, 12-12. 
 
Both teams had match point opportunities, as the Cougars led 14-13 before FHSU tied it and forced a win-by-two situation, taking a 16-15 lead on Spainhour's 10th kill of the night.  After an FHSU block error tied it once more (the 41st tie of the night), a kill from Mares and a USF attack error pushed the Tigers to the win, 18-16.
 
Four Tigers had double-digit kills in the evening's contest, led by Flagor's 18 kills.  Mares had 14 kills from the right side, while Corkill and Spainhour added 10 each.  Corkill's 16 digs were second best on the team, behind Bradley's 21 digs.
 
Ary and Conor were again nearly even in assists, putting up 28 and 26, respectively, while sharing time on the court.